One of Middle Tennessee's first mills was created along the Harpeth River by Francis Newsom. The Harpeth River flows 125 miles from its headwaters in Eagleville to its confluence with the Cumberland River. Extending for five miles along the river here, the Harpeth Shoals made navigation hazardous. This man-made tunnel was constructed at the neck of an unusual bend of the Harpeth River. One of those trails includes the Bluff Overlook trail. We'll focus on the three main historic sites that are found there, starting with the oldest. The town is probably more than a thousand years old, estimated to have been populated between around 900 AD and 1300 AD based on radio carbon dating. In doing so, he created enough moving water to power a forge, known as the Pattison Forge. The Harpeth River reached record flood stages, far exceeding the previous record stages by as much as 43%. The pollution problem is exacerbated by the City of Franklin’s aging 2 million gallons-a-day drinking water plant that withdraws water from the river not far upstream from its sewer plant. He fought way harder than any panfish of a similar size. Today its frame is still intact. One of those trails includes the Bluff Overlook trail. comm.) It is … Brehm’s description of the river at the Narrows explains why in part: “The Narrows of the Harpeth is a beautiful and most, unusual place. Several of these species are classified by Tennessee as rare and in need of management, and two mussel species are protected under the Endangered Species Act. She also happened to be the first postmistress of Pegram. That post can be read here. The bend is so narrow that the river almost comes back and runs into itself. According to the state, this is problematic for fish and aquatic life, and reduces the capacity of the river to handle the city’s treated sewage discharges and other pollutants downstream. The tunnel was excavated through a 100 yard wide rock ridge that separated the river beds. For people interested in nature or history, or those who just like to get away from it all, this location is highly recommended. Written neatly in white chalk, Drury has the history of the 125-mile body of water on a floor-to-ceiling blackboard. Although he is a little baby, I enjoyed the hell out of reeling this guy in. We were going to hike. If not managed responsibly, it could cause irreparable damage to the river. 1101 14th Street NW, Suite 1400 Washington, DC 20005 | Phone: ©2019 American Rivers, All Rights Reserved. A portion of the Harpeth is designated a State Scenic River as it flows through the Nashville metro area, and a series of state, county, and city parks along the Harpeth connect natural, archaeological, and historic sites. Largemouth Bass with a Frog Popper Fly. You cannot get to the mounds except by a ranger-led tour between October and March (to arrange one, call the park at 615-952-2099). Some of the more popular sections of the park are Narrows of the Harpeth and Hidden Lake. The turn is east of the Harpeth River bridge. The state park was created to connect several archaeological and natural sites along the lower Harpeth River. Harpeth River State Park is located in northern Tennessee, close to the cities of Nashville, Clarksville, and Dickson. It's owned by the state and is a unit of Harpeth River State Park. Near the park, where Highway 70 crosses Cedar Hill Road, are several places that rent canoes during warm months. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Little Harpeth River is a 16.3-mile-long (26.2 km) tributary of the Harpeth River in Tennessee, just south of Nashville.